Wizards Pulled Off Power Move at Deadline

The Washington Wizards had an under-the-radar move at the trade deadline that deserves some attention.

Feb 1, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Washington Wizards center Jonas Valanciunas (17) celebrates his basket against the Minnesota Timberwolves with less than 20 seconds to go in the fourth quarter at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images / Bruce Kluckhohn-Imagn Images

The Washington Wizards made a number of moves at the trade deadline, but in a way, they were all connected.

It started off by trading Kyle Kuzma for Khris Middleton, but the creativity was shown when the Wizards traded Jonas Valanciunas to the Sacramento Kings for Sidy Cissoko and a pair of first-round picks.

While the return value wasn't remarkable, it's what general manager Will Dawkins did with those second-round picks after the fact that has Bleacher Report writer Grant Hughes buzzing.

"Washington also turned four future seconds into a 2026 first-rounder that'll be the worst of the Thunder, Clippers and Rockets' selections. That probably means it'll be in the range of the late 20s, but the Wizards had loads of seconds to spare," Hughes writes.

"Another first, this time a 2025 selection from the Grizzlies, came attached to Marcus Smart's contract, which will pay him $20.2 million this year and $21.6 million in 2025-26. Just more correct rebuilding behavior by the Wizards, who showed a willingness to absorb bad money with draft picks throughout the deadline period.

"The deal that sent Valančiunas to the Kings for Cissoko and two seconds is a little underwhelming, but it appears first-rounders were never on the table for the veteran center."

Basically, Washington took Valanciunas, flipped him for two seconds that were used to acquire an additional first from the Philadelphia 76ers in next year's draft. Then, they got another first-round pick by taking on Smart's contract.

At the end of the day, the Wizards added two new first-round picks, and with the addition of rookie AJ Johnson, that could almost count as three. Sounds like a good trade deadline for the rebuilding Wizards for me.

The Wizards play tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Indiana Pacers.

Make sure you bookmark Washington Wizards on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

• Wizards Found Replacement for Kyle Kuzma
• Wizards Get Surprising Secret Weapon with Bucks Trade
• Wizards Center Deserves More Playing Time
• Wizards Trade Kyle Kuzma for Bucks’ Khris Middleton
• Wizards Forward Can Prove Himself After Trade Deadline